What if a book existed that gave answers to everything you've ever wondered about? What would you do to learn its secrets? Tales of such books have abounded for millennia and are legend in occult history. One of the most pervasive modern iterations is that of the Necronomicon, said to be a genuine occult text from the 8th century. The Necronomicon really is the creation of science fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft (1891-1937), in whose books the magic volume first appears in print. In The Necronomicon Files two occult authorities explore all aspects of The Necronomicon, from its first appearance in Lovecraft's fiction to its ongoing pervasive appearance in cult and occult circles. The Necronomicon Files, revised and expanded further, reveals the hoax of the Necronomicon. Harms and Gonce show that the apocryphal history of the Necronomicon was concocted by Lovecraft to lend it verisimilitude in his fiction. The magical text was transformed into an icon among Lovecraft's literary circle, who added to the book's legend by referring to it in their own writing. People became convinced that it was a real book and its references in literature and film continue to grow. The book also examines what people have undergone to find the Necronomicon and the cottage industry that has arisen over the past three decades to supply the continuing demand for a book that does not exist. Scholarly yet accessible, humorous and intriguing, The Necronomicon Files illuminates the depth of the creative process and the transformations of modern myth, while still managing to preserve much of the romance and fascination that surrounds the Necronomicon in our culture.

From Faust (1926) to The Babadook (2014), books have been featured in horror films as warnings, gateways, prisons and manifestations of the monstrous. Ancient grimoires such as the Necronomicon serve as timeless vessels of knowledge beyond human comprehension, while runes, summoning diaries, and spell books offer their readers access to the powers of the supernatural--but at what cost? This collection of new essays examines nearly a century of genre horror in which on-screen texts drive and shape their narratives, sometimes unnoticed. The contributors explore American films like The Evil Dead (1981), The Prophecy (1995) and It Follows (2014), as well as such international films as Eric Valette's Malefique (2002), Paco Cabeza's The Appeared (2007) and Lucio Fulci's The Beyond (1981).

Modern practicing occultists have argued that renowned horror writer H. P. Lovecraft was in possession of in-depth knowledge of black magick. Literary scholars claim that he was a master of his genre and craft, and his findings are purely psychological, nothing more. Was Lovecraft a practitioner of the dark arts himself? Was he privileged to knowledge that cannot be otherwise explained? Weaving the life story of Lovecraft in and out of an analysis of various modern magickal systems, scholar John Steadman has found direct and concrete examples that demonstrate that Lovecraft’s works and specifically his Cthulhu Mythos and his creation of the Necronomicon are a legitimate basis for a working magickal system. Whether you believe Lovecraft had supernatural powers or not, no one can argue against Lovecraft’s profound influence on many modern black arts and the darker currents of western occultism.

The magic of the Necronomicon is based on dreams, visions and transmissions from planes and dimensions beyond the world as we know it, channeled and earthed by sensitive individuals. This book thoroughly explores this magical tradition, discussing the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos from the perspective of a practitioner, providing applicable methods of work, both for beginners and advanced magicians. It presents basic magical concepts and techniques of their practical use within the context of the Necronomicon Gnosis: pacts and ceremonies, astral journeys, dream magic, scrying and travelling through gateways to interstellar dimensions, evocations, invocations, sex magic, self-initiation, shape-shifting, necromancy, the art of sacrifice, and many others.

An exploration of John Dee’s Enochian magic of angel contact, its reinterpretation over the years, and its endurance to the present day.

What is a grimoire? The word has a familiar ring to many people, particularly as a consequence of such popular television dramas as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed. But few people are sure exactly what it means. Put simply, grimoires are books of spells that were first recorded in the Ancient Middle East and which have developed and spread across much of the Western Hemisphere and beyond over the ensuing millennia. At their most benign, they contain charms and remedies for natural and supernatural ailments and advice on contacting spirits to help find treasures and protect from evil. But at their most sinister they provide instructions on how to manipulate people for corrupt purposes and, worst of all, to call up and make a pact with the Devil. Both types have proven remarkably resilient and adaptable and retain much of their relevance and fascination to this day. But the grimoire represents much more than just magic. To understand the history of grimoires is to understand the spread of Christianity, the development of early science, the cultural influence of the print revolution, the growth of literacy, the impact of colonialism, and the expansion of western cultures across the oceans. As this book richly demonstrates, the history of grimoires illuminates many of the most important developments in European history over the last two thousand years.

Today a new trend is clearly discernable, that of ‘hyper-real religions’. These are innovative religions and spiritualities that mix elements of religious traditions with popular culture. If we imagine a spectrum of intensity of the merging of popular culture with religion, we might find, at one end, groups practicing Jediism appropriated from the Star Wars movies, Matrixism from the Matrix trilogy, and neo-pagan rites based on stories from The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series. At the other end of the spectrum, members of mainstream religions, such as Christianity can be influenced or inspired by, for example, The Da Vinci Code. Through various case studies, this book studies the on- and off-line religious/spiritual consumption of these narratives through a social scientific approach.

Interest in preternatural and supernatural themes has revitalized the Gothic tale, renewed explorations of psychic powers and given rise to a host of social and religious movements based upon claims of the fantastical. And yet, in spite of this widespread enthusiasm, the academic world has been slow to study this development. This volume rectifies this gap in current scholarship by serving as an interdisciplinary overview of the relationship of the paranormal to the artefacts of mass media (e.g. novels, comic books, and films) as well as the cultural practices they inspire. After an introduction analyzing the paranormal’s relationship to religion and entertainment, the book presents essays exploring its spiritual significance in a postmodern society; its (post)modern representation in literature and film; and its embodiment in a number of contemporary cultural practices. Contributors from a number of discplines and cultural contexts address issues such as the shamanistic aspects of Batman and lesbianism in vampire mythology. Covering many aspects of the paranormal and its effect on popular culture, this book is an important statement in the field. As such, it will be of utmost interest to scholars of religious studies as well as media, communication, and cultural studies.

From creature features to indie horror flicks, find out what happens when sex, horror, and the religious imagination come together Throughout history, religion has attempted to control nothing so much as our bodies: what they are and what they mean; what we do with them, with whom, and under what circumstances; how they may be displayed—or, more commonly, how they must be hidden. Yet, we remain fascinated, obsessed even, by bodies that have left, or been forced out of, their “proper” place. The Forbidden Body examines how horror culture treats these bodies, exploring the dark spaces where sex and the sexual body come together with religious belief and tales of terror. Taking a broad approach not limited to horror cinema or popular fiction, but embracing also literary horror, weird fiction, graphic storytelling, visual arts, and participative culture, Douglas E. Cowan explores how fears of bodies that are tainted, impure, or sexually deviant are made visible and reinforced through popular horror tropes. The volume challenges the reader to move beyond preconceived notions of religion in order to decipher the “religious imagination” at play in the scary stories we tell over and over again. Cowan argues that stories of religious bodies “out of place” are so compelling because they force us to consider questions that religious belief cannot comfortably answer: Who are we? Where do we come from? Why do we suffer? And above all, do we matter? As illuminating as it is unsettling, The Forbidden Body offers a fascinating look at how and why we imagine bodies in all the wrong places.

Secret societies have both fascinated and frightened people for hundreds of years. Often the infamous Illuminati is mentioned as the core of conspiracies which span the globe. The Illuminati is actually a historical secret society which had goals of revolutions and world domination dating back to the 1770s. Since then, rumors and conspiracy theories involving the Illuminati continue to spread, sometimes finding their way into popular novels like Dan Brown's Angels & Demons and Hollywood movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Some men have even come forward claiming to be former members, offering details of what they allege are the inner workings of the organization. When you sift through all of the information available on the subject, you may be surprised that the truth is stranger than fiction. In The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction, conspiracy and occult expert Mark Dice separates history from Hollywood and shows why tales of the secret society won't die. - Original Writings and Documents - Purported Texts - Freemasonry's Connections - The Georgia Guidestones - Alleged Victims and Defectors - Aliens and Reptillians - Activists and Eyewitnesses - Fictional books - Fictional films - TV references - The Music Industry - Mainstream Media Manipulation - Documentary Films - Pre Illuminati Organizations - The Luciferian Doctrine - The Federal Reserve - Skull and Bones - The Bilderberg Group - Bohemian Grove - The Council on Foreign Relations - The Franklin Cover-up - Sex Magic - Election Fraud - The Necronomicon - The Church of Satan - The Secret Doctrine - Emerald Tablet - The Book of Thoth - The Book of Dzyan - The Report From Iron Mountain - Protocols of the Elders of Zion - The Holy Grail - MK-ULTRA Documents - The Satanic Bible - The Secret Doctrine - David Rockefeller's Memoirs - Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism - Secret Societies and Subversive Movements - Occult Theocrasy - Externalization of the Hierarchy - None Dare Call It Conspiracy - Magick: In Theory and Practice - Bloodlines of the Illuminati - The Lexicon of Freemasonry - Morals and Dogma - The Secret Teachings of All Ages - Myron Fagan - Edith Miller - Gary Allen - Abbe Barruel - Nesta Webster - Anthony J. Hilder - John Robison - Johnny Gosch - William Morgan - Chris Jones, former Bohemian Grove employee - Ted Gunderson former FBI Agent - John Todd - Bill Schnoebelen - Mike Warnke - Cathy O'Brien - Aleister Crowley - Alice Bailey - Benjamine Creme - William Cooper - Carol Quigley - Zeitgeist's Peter Joseph - Helena Blavatsky - Phil Schneider - Benjamin Fulford - Hal Turner, FBI informant - Manly P. Hall - Fritz Springmeier - Albert Pike - Anton LaVey - David Icke - And More By the author of The New World Order: Facts & Fiction